American Politics Thread

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

All the Republican commercials I see instead of saying good they have done, just fearmongers about Democrats.

This is accurate. Probably some of the worst I've ever seen. I actually deal with some of the campaign ads for New York and the majority we get are from John Katko. His ads are nothing but fear mongering about Dana Balter, though she still puts out some attack ads as well. Dana Balter's ads do talk about what she'd do. We also get ones from Anthony Brindisi and Claudia Tenney. Tenney's ads are some of the worst. They're full of fear mongering about Brindisi being "too liberal" and how he rarely votes with Trump. Brindisi's ads tend to focus on stuff he's done in Washington.

 

[TechSkylander1518]

The way McEnany opened up the last press conference is basically how all Republicans act these days:

MS. MCENANY: Good afternoon, everyone. The radicals are in control of the Democrat Party. Make no mistake, Democrat radicals want to shatter norms and disregard precedent for the sake of the very norms and precedent they claim must be safeguarded.

 

[omahanime]

This is accurate. Probably some of the worst I've ever seen. I actually deal with some of the campaign ads for New York and the majority we get are from John Katko. His ads are nothing but fear mongering about Dana Balter, though she still puts out some attack ads as well. Dana Balter's ads do talk about what she'd do. We also get ones from Anthony Brindisi and Claudia Tenney. Tenney's ads are some of the worst. They're full of fear mongering about Brindisi being "too liberal" and how he rarely votes with Trump. Brindisi's ads tend to focus on stuff he's done in Washington.

You should see Iowa, Theresa Greenfield as a realtor helped Menards buy a near vacant mall for a newer, bigger store. So some small stores were forced to move. Joni Ernst has been running commercials saying she is anti small business.

 

[Volphied]

The way McEnany opened up the last press conference is basically how all Republicans act these days:

MS. MCENANY: Good afternoon, everyone. The radicals are in control of the Democrat Party. Make no mistake, Democrat radicals want to shatter norms and disregard precedent for the sake of the very norms and precedent they claim must be safeguarded.

It's always projection with the GOP. "Accuse your opponent of what you are guilty of yourself".

 

[Kung Fu Ferret]

If Bernie and/or Tulsi doesn't make it, I'm voting Vermin Supreme!

I've changed my mind since this post and I'm voting Green party, just like last time.

Edit: here in Massachusetts, they are on the ballot. I sincerely hope it stays that way.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Welp, the first debate is happening today. I hope Joe Biden is prepared to call out Trump on his lies and poor response to the pandemic and BLM. I hope he gets a chance to call him out on his petty and childish name calling also.

 

[zoroarctic]

I’m not expecting the debates to have much of an impact. In fact, I think tonight’s going to be pretty boring.

In other news, here’s some helpful information:https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...e&p9w22b2p=b2p22p9w00098&tid=a_classic-iphone

Looks like the 2 tipping point states, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, will be among the slowest to count all the mail-in ballots. On the flip side, Florida, Arizona and North Carolina could get theirs in pretty quickly. If those states are called for Biden on election night, that should do it.

 

[Rainfall]

(Part of me fears outing myself in deviating from a neutral perch in policy and political matters; another part of me wants to shout into the din. I’m just another not-well-informed citizen. Will probably regret this down the line.)
___

Social policies, economics, and governance are wicked problems, no doubt.

Still, it seems there’s quite a legacy in the 45th U.S. administration. Key concerning parts include:

(A) rolled-back environmental protection policies,
- NYT - up to 2020 - interactive infographic - 45-admin. Environmental Rollbacks
Trump dismantles environmental protections under cover of coronavirus

(B) slowdowns/dismantling or violation of social/human rights protections,
- Guardian - 2019-Mar - 45-admin. ignoring human rights monitors
- NPR - 2020-Sep - Court rules govt can end humanit. protections for 300k immigrants
- Civil Rights Law Protects Gay and Transgender Workers, Supreme Court Rules
- NPR - 2019-Aug -- trumps-impact-on-federal-courts-judicial-nominees-by-the-numbers

(C) and of economic protections,
- NYT - 2017-Feb - 45th-admin. congress financial regulations [remove consumer protections]

(D) cultivating disinformation and distrust in a time of rising tech challenges,
- How to combat fake news and disinformation
- WaPo - up to 2020 - graphics - Trump claims (falsehoods) database
- WaPo - Opinion - 2020-May - why-does-trump-get-away-with-everything

(E) a strongman approach to relations both in foreign policy and at home.
- Reuters - 2020-Aug - US 45-foreign policy [legacy]

- The Conversation - 2018-Jul - why world should worry _ rise of strongman politics
_______

[A] Open questions are, what actions could and should be done on any of these matters?

[ B ] How do those actions change depending on the office-holders of the next terms of the U.S. executive branch, the Senate & the House composition, and the Supreme & lower Courts?
There's a very real chance that the administration will prevail (to link 538 next).

_______________________

 

[Rainfall]

As of 2020-Sep-28 Monday (and currently, as of 29th, Tuesday),
fivethirtyeight.com (538) simulates that President Trump has a 22% chance of winning, and that Biden has a 77% chance of winning.
2020 Election Forecast

One fear is that Biden will not be lucid enough in the upcoming debates (the first of which is happening very soon), and that enough Americans will choose to vote for someone who may still not have governance/foreign policy knowledge, but who nevertheless has bravado and speak his way out of things, over someone who cannot always be compelling and coherent, all the other policies and platforms be secondary.

The debates rarely seem a good way to discuss policy matters, but they matter a lot from a perception point of view.

 

[omahanime]

I've changed my mind since this post and I'm voting Green party, just like last time.

Edit: here in Massachusetts, they are on the ballot. I sincerely hope it stays that way.

Hopefully your vote won't be an issue.

 

[Aulos]

Hopefully your vote won't be an issue.

They're in Massachusetts. It's a state that will go blue regardless of how they vote. I still think it's a throw-away vote in such an important election, but sometimes you have to pick and choose your battles. Just like I have chosen not to argue with the third party/stay-homers in my state. Their vote wouldn't count anyway, just as the one I make won't either, seeing as my state is a solid Republican state.

People in states like Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, etc., etc.? They're fair game. Their negligence could hurt us badly, just like they did in 2016.

Looks like the 2 tipping point states, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, will be among the slowest to count all the mail-in ballots. On the flip side, Florida, Arizona and North Carolina could get theirs in pretty quickly. If those states are called for Biden on election night, that should do it.

I don't have much faith in Florida at this point. =( I don't know about the other two, but it looks like this will be a frustrating wait.

 

[zoroarctic]

In fact, I think tonight’s going to be pretty boring.

Never mind.

 

[Aulos]

Never mind.

Is that good or bad? I haven't been watching it.

 

[prog rocker]

Just what's happening there? A Discord server I'm in got me curious.

 

[zoroarctic]

Is that good or bad? I haven't been watching it.

Just what's happening there? A Discord server I'm in got me curious.

It’s a dumpster fire. I can’t find the words for it.

 

[prog rocker]

I hope somebody can put a summary tomorrow.

 

[Aulos]

I hear that Trump is being really outrageous and talking over everyone. I wouldn't have expected anything else from him, the manchild he is, TBH.

 

[omahanime]

President Trump says he has done more for the country than any other president.

I think even President William Henry Harrison has done more.

 

[zoroarctic]

I hope somebody can put a summary tomorrow.

Some of the highlights.

Biden: Will you shut up, man.

Trump: There’s nothing smart about you, Joe.

Trump: Why didn’t you do it for the last 47 years?

Biden: Because you weren’t President screwing it up!

Oh, and Trump refused to condemn white supremacy again.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Words can't even begin to describe how sickening the debate was. This was even worse than Trump's debates with Hillary Clinton. It went about as well as anyone would have expected and I genuinely feel bad for Chris Wallace.

As expected, Donald Trump was insanely disrespectful. He couldn't give Joe Biden a single moment to get his point across and clarify, regularly interrupting him and Chris Wallace. He frequently brought on personal attack's against Joe Biden's family, especially Hunter Biden. When Joe was talking about Beau, Trump rudely said "I don't know Beau, I know Hunter." At times, his behavior really got to Biden and even resulted in Biden blatantly telling him to shut up. Biden lost control once or twice and even called Trump a clown at one point, and even the worst president the US has ever had, though I agree with Biden.

There was one moment where Trump couldn't even openly condem white supremacy and when asked, he was like "Well what do you want me to say?" He even told the Proud Boys to stand by. They tried to get him to simply say "I condemn white supremacy", but he couldn't even do that.

Chris Wallace was often interrupted by Trump and he hardly had control of the debate. He frequently had to remind Trump they agreed to a two minute time limit, and frequently had to try to keep the two on subject.

I've never seen anything like it. It was embarrassing, and Trump's blatantly disrespectful behavior and petty personal attacks is largely responsible for why. Joe Biden did have some great moments, though its obvious he was getting very frustrated and losing control, and Chris Wallace had little control. This was so disgusting I don't even think there should be any more debates because Trump has to behave like an absolute child. Well, besides the debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence.